Aero: Kelsey Burbank – Costa Rica 2014 – My Expectations

Tropical is one of the many words that comes to minds when I think about Costa Rica. That was one of the many things that caught my attention about this trip. Being able to leave New York in the dead of winter and go where the weather is warm, sunny, and beautiful. When I had first heard about the trip, yea the thought of sun instead of snow was one thing that really caught my attention, but the experience that I was going to have was the thought that really sold me one going on this trip.

The thought of experiencing something new and different makes this a very exciting trip for me. While this is something new that I will be experiencing it is also going to be a challenge. This trip will be the first time that will ever be out of the country as well as meeting an entire country of new people. This trip offers me the experience of a life time. With this trip I hope to step out of my comfort zone and be able to experience all the Costa Rica has to offer as well as learn more and more about the people and the country of Costa Rica.

When I arrive in Costa Rica I now that I will be in such awe of all that surrounds me. The beauty and all that revolves around the Costa Rican culture. Though I know the beauty is the first thing that will catch my eye I am a little nervous about language barrier that I will have to work with while on the trip. With English being my main language and Spanish being the main language of Costa Rica I am nervous that I will have a hard time expressing myself to others around me. While I took Spanish for 4 years in high school I have not been able to speak Spanish since then. While that is a major obstacle that I will have to face I feel that in taking classes and being immersed in the culture will help me open up and learn a little bit more about the people and the culture. I am looking forward to doing so many new things while on this trip such as seeing volcanoes and the Costa Rican wildlife.

Lastly the one thing that look forward to learning about the most is the people and their culture. It is not every day that a person can completely immerse themselves into the culture of another country. From the many things that I have heard from others Costa Rica, while is offers many of the different things that we have here in the United States, offers relaxation as well as company that are very welcoming and very warming. Some of the things that I am looking forward to try while in am in Costa Rica is living with a Costa Rican family. Living with someone from that country gives you a sense of how they live their lives which I feel will offer a better experience then staying in a hotel. Another is the foods. I am looking forward to trying many of the different foods that we do not always see here in the United States. Being able to see another culture from a different point of view than just seeing it in our own country will help me to appreciate the difference of cultures that we have today and understanding why we do the things that we do.